4.45pm: Some days, I confess, I can barely manage to look at politics.

This is not one of them.

Tony Windsor is correct here (even though I'm taking him out of context).

I'm scoring this debate a 10.

4.40pm: Mr Wilkie says he will second a motion for censure against the Member for Dobell.

The process has taken too long.

But he will not support any move to suspend Mr Thomson from parliament.

This would be sitting as judge and jury and that is not our role.

Mr Wilkie says Tony Windsor is right to ask whether parliament should consider expanding the criteria for disqualification.

Let's bring on a code of conduct and an Integrity Commissioner.

Mr Wilkie says his constituents just want the brawling to stop, and for parliament to get on with the job.

4.35pm: Here is Tasmania's Andrew Wilkie.

With a pox on everyone's houses by the looks.

The Government has made mistakes, but the Opposition has been overly negative and destructive.

Meanwhile, this minority parliament gets things done, day in day out.

So what do we do about Mr Thomson?

Let proper process run its course. This is a time for cool heads.

Mr Thomson needs to be innocent until proven guilty.

4.31pm: Ms Bishop asks where are the lines drawn.

The ALP talks about Kangaroo Courts, but Labor has sent Mr Thomson to the cross bench and won't pre-select him for Dobell.

That's emphatic judgment.

So why can't parliament make judgments exactly, she asks?

4.30pm: Now Liberal Deputy Leader Julie Bishop.

Mr Thomson has not answered the substantive findings against him by FWA.

He should make a clear unambiguous statement, Ms Bishop says.

I didn't use the union credit card for escort services.

He hasn't done that, Ms Bishop says.

The Member for Dobell's statement to the House reeks of recent invention, she says.

4.20pm: Former Speaker Harry Jenkins is now making a contribution to the Thomson debate.

How come it has taken us so long to get a code of conduct for parliamentarians, Mr Jenkins inquires?

It's pretty simple isn't it?

How about an Ethics Commissioner, or an Integrity Commissioner?

We have failed, Mr Jenkins says.

We have failed to take the politics out of issues like this.

It's not only the Thomson statement, it's our reaction to it. How come people can get up straight after the Thomson statement, not knowing the content, with their own prepared statement? What's that about?

The rules have changed why? Because this is a minority government.

Mr Thomson is not the first person to be in politics facing substantial allegations.

Mr Howes says he regrets the role he played in the leadership coup against Kevin Rudd.

We need to be a big, broad based movement, splendid in our diversity.

1.20pm: Here is the wording for Mr Oakeshott's matter of public importance debate post Question Time.

Mr Oakeshott will propose a debate on:

The importance of public confidence and public trust in the Australian parliament and how the parliament should respond to matters related to the MP for Dobell.

1.10pm: A couple of housekeeping matters ahead of Question Time.

The government is signalling it is not yet done with pointing Liberal MPs in the direction of the privileges committee. (Liberal backbencher Craig Kelly found himself hurtling rather unexpectedly in that direction yesterday in all the hustle and bustle of the Craig Thomson statement. Word is friends, possibly shadow frontbencher Sophie Mirabella, may join him.)

Also we are likely to see a debate, post Question Time, initiated by Independent Rob Oakeshott about matters associated with the Craig Thomson statement to parliament.

Standards in politics or some other nice euphemism.

So parliamentarians so inclined can debate the vexed case of Mr Thomson.

12.45pm: Now to the National Press Club.

Here is union leader Paul Howes.

Have we become a nation that has become too scared to take a punt on ourselves?

Pulsers will remember that the Gillard Government courted Mr Wilkie with a promise of mandatory pre-commitment reform, then dumped him when they gained a number by inserting Peter Slipper into the Speakership.

Since then, the relationship between Mr Wilkie and the Gillard Government has been a little pursed lips; a little hand-to-mouth. Mr Wilkie ripped up his minority government agreement with the Prime Minister, and has wandered off to vote with the Coalition on procedural issues.

For those interested in the nitty gritty of this long running and confusing case, Kate's piece is the must read of the morning.

9.35am: Not quite a second job for the Opposition leader, just the dawn shift.

Pulse eyes Andrew Meares ventured out with Mr Abbott in the wee small hours to Frozpack Food Services in Hume.

Another of these daily picture opportunities.

The carbon tax is evil.

Discuss.

(Colder outside in Canberra this morning than in the freezer. Believe me.)

9.30am: Tony Abbott has taken up a milk run?

64 comments

Thomson had his day at the parliament and he made a speech, as he was asked by his peers: fellow parliamentarians. I watched the speech and couldn’t make a judgement on what said. We have rule of law and jurisprudence and his guilt or innocence should be tested at the court. He will have his day in court.

The media, the Labour and Liberal party have plenty to be ashamed about nothing to be proud of.

The media pursuing him to the hilt- ignoring the rule of law and jurisprudence- is tantamount to a witch-hunt.

The Labour and Liberal party are equally guilty for pre-selecting Thomson and Peter Slipper with suspicions of miscreants hovering over their heads.

I am in agreement with Thomson’s concluding sentences about Tony Abbott. So far Abbott hasn't shown his mettle to be a prime ministerial material like Julia Gillard has. Moreover, he hasn't shown the intelligentsia that he possesses in his words or deeds because he is Rhode Scholar. In addition to, Abbott has become an embarrassment with his foot in mouth afflictions resulting in faux pas that are aplenty-realms of paper would need to print them.

Being a lawyer in her avocation, Julia Gillard is towing the same line- pertaining to all allegations about Thomson and Peter Slipper -let the law takes it course is very apt. She could have used a tit for tact attack on Abbott for his discomfiture for being one of his Senators, Mary Jo Fisher having been charged for Kleptomaniac.

Commenter

Kattooparambil

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

May 22, 2012, 9:41AM

Your post is about as disjointed and rambling as Mr Thompson's speech - I would advise you both that any statement needs a point - I think the point of his was he was set up, I think the point of yours is an attack on Mr Abbott - neither seem very productive to me.

Commenter

Irene

Date and time

May 22, 2012, 10:00AM

Kattooparambil, Yes - shame on those Libs, it's all their fault. Quite obviously Craig Thomson is innocent and should be left alone, just like when Elvis Presley goes into McDonalds for a meal, the crowd rush him to sign autographs, they just wont leave him alone. No matter how young or old we are we all love fairy tales and those who tell them and I think Craig Thomson tells them the best.

Commenter

aussie41353

Location

Perth WA

Date and time

May 22, 2012, 10:14AM

So. Over. It.

Commenter

Julia

Date and time

May 22, 2012, 10:28AM

The front page of the Herald Sun today is a travesty and completely proves Thomson's point about the media lynch mob.

The AEC has backed Thomson on the matter of electoral expenses so surely this casts some doubt on the rest of the FWA report. If they couldn't get that right what else might they have gotten wrong?

Commenter

Think Big

Location

Sydney

Date and time

May 22, 2012, 11:52AM

I believe, if Thomson had sat down with the Police to answer their questions and if he had the Police investigate, what he claims, to be fraudulent usage of his credit cards, there may be a few more out there who may believe some of what he was saying yesterday.

Commenter

aussie41353

Location

Perth WA

Date and time

May 22, 2012, 1:03PM

@Think Small

The AEC has not backed Thomson on the matter of electoral expenses. If you took the time to fully comprehend what was said you would know this.

The AEC said that all except for $17,000 had been reported as per AEC requirements. The AEC NEVER cleared Thompson of illegally using Union funds.,

Also Chris Brown of the HSU National Executive reconfirmed yesterday that Thompson NEVER had authority to spend these funds.

Leave to a judge or Jury to decide. Your openly biased views that he is innocent are as bad as those who think he is Guilty without being charged as guilty.

Commenter

Craig Thompson 4 PM

Date and time

May 22, 2012, 2:10PM

When will the LNP stop WASTING TAXPAYER $ and start dealing with actual issues, asking question on economics and policy??? All they seem to be interested in is playing Judge Judy, in the hope it might get them on the other side of the chamber, without the need to explsin to the Austrlian people what exactly it is they will be doing once there.... Saddest part of all this is the number of stupid people falling for the garbage the media has dished out.

Commenter

TommyP

Date and time

May 22, 2012, 4:58PM

I am in the camp of believing Craig Thomson but, having said that, I also believe there is a Santa, an Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy.

Commenter

aussie41353

Location

Perth WA

Date and time

May 22, 2012, 10:09AM

is that an original thought or have you seen the cartoon in The Worst Australian this morning?

Subscribe to IT Pro

Editor's Choice

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has bolstered Malcolm Turnbull's ministerial duties, handing him greater responsibility for e-government in a push to expand the use of a single digital identity for Australians.

Data

The new roof that spans Margaret Court arena does more than keep out the weather. Built into the gantries that surround the sliding ceiling are Wi-Fi antennas that beam web access to every ticket holder.